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Emergencies

  • Brunfelsia poisoning is caused by the toxin from a plant commonly referred to as yesterday, today, tomorrow. Other names for the plant include kiss me quick and morning, noon and night.

  • We all know that emergency situations require immediate help. The problem is, can we recognise the developing emergency?

  • Emergencies come in all forms: Road traffic accidents, bites, burns, heatstroke, poisoning and unconsciousness are but a few.

  • Chocolate contains an alkaloid called Theobromine. This drug is used as a diuretic, heart stimulant, vasodilator, and also smooth muscle relaxant but it can be poisonous in excess and some dogs appear to be particularly sensitive.

  • If you think your pet is unwell, you must take it to your veterinarian for prompt attention. ANY deviation from normal should be a cause for concern and requires immediate evaluation by your veterinarian.

  • Diabetes mellitus, (DM), is a complex disorder of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism caused by the body's inability to produce or to utilise adequate amounts of insulin produced by specialised cells in the pancreas.

  • Diarrhoea is a sign of a bowel problem. This can vary from simple dietary indiscretion, e.g. eating a rotting bone found in the garden to potentially fatal illnesses such as cancer.

  • This describes a condition in which puppies are apparently normal at birth but fail to grow and die up to fourteen days later.

  • Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is an uncommon but fatal disease of cats caused by a virus called a feline coronavirus (FECV). The first signs of FIP may be very vague: dullness, lethargy, and inappetance are common findings. FIP is a fatal illness, and essentially all cats that develop clinical signs will go on to die of the disease.

  • GDV is a very much more descriptive term than the old fashioned name, bloat, which is still often used for the condition in farm animals. It means the dog's stomach is distended with gas and may in addition have twisted upon itself thus effectively trapping the gas in the stomach.